Oh boy, it’s time to revisit Marcus Stuttard’s Septic Seven and we have yet another suspension. You will recall that this portfolio of seven diversified stocks from the AIM Casino was chosen for Mr Stuttard so that he might demonstrate his faith is his own regulatory setup at the world’s most successful growth market – but with the caveat that all the stocks selected had been Red Flagged but were still trading. In the week that the LSE washed its hands of any responsibility for fraud it is scores of the doors time, after not quite 10 months.

From the FCA's spreadsheet of short positions required to be disclosed to it, the following shows the shorted AIM shares with positions from 2016 and thus far in 2017 (by net short position %) - and if this position has increased (red), reduced (green) or remained unchanged (black) since last week...

Hello Share Tickers. Shares in Kingfisher (KGF) have taken a pounding since the end of May. But the current share price of 295p, down from 368p then, may be worth more in my opinion. 

The attempted robber barons of the InterQuest (ITQ) management buyout team (at Chisbridge Ltd) have made an “Update on Level of Acceptances and Offer Extension” announcement…

In theory share options are there to incentivise management. There is of course scant evidence that directors who are often grossly overpaid will actually work even harder/be less lazy because they get to have a one way bet on the share price. It may encourage actions that drive short term share spikes but is there a proven link between options and value creation? Er... no. What we we do know is that options are not cost free.

Jekyll Island is a real place, off the coast of Georgia, it marks the birthplace formation of the Federal Reserve System. In 1910 a group of wealthy bankers and industrialists met and formulated a plan to take over the money system. In this podcast G Edward Griffin discusses why - 104 years later - the Fed is doomed and will fail.

From the FCA's spreadsheet of short positions required to be disclosed to it, we previously updated at Easter the top shorted London-listed shares HERE. The following updates, showing those with a current reported short position of +7% (those in bold new entrants post the Easter update)...

Shares in Fox Marble (FOX) fell by almost 10% to 8.25p-8.5p on the back of news that it had appointed Beaufort Securities, Belfort Secs to its legion of admirers, as the company's joint broker. The assumption is that Belfort, whose clients are mainly bucket shops, will be doing a discounted placing. that is not the case, Fox has enough cash to get it through to profitability but Belfort's reputation proceeds it. Fox has gone on the record to say there is no placing.

Not that Challenger Acquisitions (CHAL) has bothered with an RNS but the wheels are literally falling off here with disastrous news pertaining to its only real asset, the New York Wheel. If you haven’t got out already I suggest you do so now and save a few pennies while you can.

Having listed at 100p per share in February 2014 and currently suspended at sub 10p amidst reverse takeover discussions for John Menzies' Distribution division, parcels, mail and logistics group DX (DX.) has now announced “an update on trading, reorganisation of the business and board changes”…

In a brochure boasting of its (dis) services to the capital markets, auditor PKF Littlejohn proudly lists some of the clients it has helped bring to London’s capital markets (some of which it also audits). The roll call of shame includes:

When disgraced AIM casino posterboy Mercantile Ports & Logistics (MPL) moves from being a member of the minus 98% club in which it currently sits to being a member of the minus 100% club, I want it known that Nomad Cenkos has been fully aware of massive issues all along and has done nothing other than bank obscene fees. As such we have run a series of letters from a big shareholder to Amber Wood, head of Corporate Governance at Lagos Securities, HERE and HERE and HERE and HERE and HERE.  Now for letter six which puts fragrant Amber and Lagos, Nomad to the Quindell (QPP) fraud as well, on notice for when the final wipeout occurs that they will be held accountable. This letter has also been cc'd to AIM Regulation - I know they are useless but surely even they must realise that Lagos Securities has "form."

Hello Share Turners. As I’ve mentioned before, I’m a fan of insurance companies. They seem to be the one arm of the financial industry which is really coming along. Firms like RSA (RSA), even with its massive PE ratio, and Admiral (ADM) are paddling forward nicely in the river of capital returns and juicy dividends.

AIM-China play Grand Group (GIPO) may not be of the filthy forty for listing too late, but the share price has been telling you something, given the massive discount to cash on offer. I said on Monday that a statement was needed as the shares again collapsed. Today (at last) it has obliged.

Optibiotix (OPTI) has announced the success of human taste studies in its SweetBiotix® product development programme. The programme has been designed to develop sweet natural healthy fibres, called SweetBiotix®, which are not digested in the human gut, and hence calorie free.

Shares in Proxama (PROX) currently feature on today’s top gainers list on the back of a “Contract Renewal” announcement. Hmmm, what’s the detail here?...

Our very own Gary Newman nailed this spot on at the weekend flagging up that an almighty pump in Arian Silver (AGQ) was underway. Our sober, harsh but fair coverage contrasts well with the really sordid rampfest that saw the shares pushed ahead ahead of a placing today raising £600,000 at just 0.5p.

Every AIM company must have a Nominated Adviser, a NOMAD, to retain its listing. A Nomad is an FCA regulated financial adviser which charges an arm and a leg as a retainer to ensure that every RNS issued is 1005 accurate and that the company also complies with all the other AIM Rules. Not, as the LSE has made clear, that there is any downside in breaking all the rules or telling outright lies. That brings us to UK Oil & Gas (UKOG).

AIM-listed Frontera (FRR) has announced the appointment of WH Ireland (WHI) as broker to the company. I’m sure they will be very happy together, but in the wake of a series of loan conversions to wipe out debt you might wonder if it is placing ahoy. The good news is that they even tell us that it is!

CyanConnode (CYAN), which describes itself as “the world leader in narrowband radio mesh networks”, has updated on the first half of 2017; “a busy period for the company with key existing relationships strengthened and the company's global reach enhanced”. Sounds encouraging, so why are the shares currently lower at 0.15p?...